Vingegaard wins on Vuelta mountain to take overall lead

LIMONE PIEMONTE - Jonas Vingegaard won stage two of the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday on a cool, rainy 10km climb to Limone with Italy's Giulio Ciccone following the new red jersey holder home in second place at the end of a white knuckle struggle to the line.

Briton Tom Pidcock had attacked first but Vingegaard and Ciccone swept past him inside the final 100m.

Denmark's Vingegaard climbed to the top of the rankings with his first stage win since February as overnight leader Jasper Philipsen struggled and was dropped in the finale.

"Super happy with how I felt and how the team did today, also having the red jersey," Vingegaard said.

The Visma man leads the overall standings of the 21-day race 4sec ahead of Lidl-Trek's Ciccone with Frenchman David Gaudu of Groupama third, Ineos' Egan Bernal fourth and Pidcock fifth.

"I just went in his wheel and, to be honest, before the corner I didn't think it would be possible to pass him," Vingegaard explained.

The second of four stages starting in Italy featured a final climb of almost 10km at over five percent gradient with thick fog at its summit.

On a seasonally cool day of 20C with almost no wind, it rained briefly as Philipsen led the peloton out in a full red outfit, including helmet and glasses.

Pidcock and Vingegaard were among a group of riders hitting the deck at the foot of the final climb.

"I went down pretty hard, but seems like I didn't hurt myself too bad. I have a bit of bruising, but I think because it was so slippery I was sliding more, so I didn't get any bad road rash or anything," Vingegaard said of the fall.

Team UAE Emirates are competing here without cycling superstar Tadej Pogacar, instead Juan Ayuso and Joao Almeida present Vingegaard with a double threat.

"It was rainy, chaotic and nervous. The first hilltop finish," said Almeida, who was helped up the climb by team leader Ayuso.

"The race hasn't really started yet, the stages for me and Joao are a long way off. There's a long way to go," said the 22-year-old Ayuso, who is in ninth place 12sec down on Vingegaard.

Colombian climber Bernal won the Tour de France at 22 and followed up with the Giro two easons later before a near death accident appeared to have ended his career.

But the now 28-year-old is a dark horse here for the eventual podium in Madrid come September 14.

"I actually didn't think of fighting for the win. I started the stage with a different mindset. Yet I found myself at the front, and decided to try my luck. It's good for my morale to be up there," Bernal said after the stage.

There are a massive ten summit finishes on this Vuelta, while the team time-trial may also work in his favour.

A grinding all-day ascent on a short but winding 134.6km run to Ceres in the midst of the Graian Alps awaits the peloton on Monday's third stage.